Police: Prospective juror in Houston pot trial caught smoking it

Woman charged with drug possession on break from trial

Published 5:30 am, Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Cornelia Turner Mayo went from prospective juror in a marijuana possession trial to a prospective defendant in her own case after authorities accused her of smoking a joint outside the courthouse

Cornelia Turner Mayo went from prospective juror in a marijuana possession trial to a prospective defendant in her own case after authorities accused her of smoking a joint outside the courthouse

Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office

Police: Prospective juror in Houston pot trial caught smoking it

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Judge Sherman Ross tried to assemble a jury of peers for a woman accused of possession of a marijuana on trial Tuesday.

But authorities say prospective juror Cornelia Mayo might have taken that concept a bit too far after she was caught smoking a joint outside the courthouse during a break.

The 49-year-old Houston woman was one of 20 people in a jury pool in Criminal Court at Law No. 10.

Ross said he realized something was wrong when juror No. 2, Mayo, didn't return from a 45-minute break. Before the judge could file a bench warrant for the missing juror, his bailiff got a call from police notifying him that Mayo was being booked on a charge of smoking marijuana outside the criminal courthouse.

"I've had prospective jurors get lost before, but it never occurred to me that they might be getting ready for a marijuana trial by, allegedly, smoking marijuana," Ross said.

He also said it was a strange coincidence for a court that also sees trials for DWI's, family violence and many other misdemeanors.

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